Hey folks, does anyone have any experience with reasonably-priced humidity control systems for their gunsafes? I just moved mine to the garage and I want to be sure I have the right climate for my kids!
I appreciate the info.
Humidity Control for Safe?
- Thread starter FALex
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Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
I donno the name or brand but I am using one that was only about 30 bucks and rated for almost twice the volume of my safe.
Its a dessicant style but this one also plugs in to recharge the dessicant. Has a little view window on it and when the beads turn from blue to pink color you just plug it in for a few hours and its gtg for another month or two.
I donno the name or brand but I am using one that was only about 30 bucks and rated for almost twice the volume of my safe.
Its a dessicant style but this one also plugs in to recharge the dessicant. Has a little view window on it and when the beads turn from blue to pink color you just plug it in for a few hours and its gtg for another month or two.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
I ran an electric cord into the safe and just leave a 7-watt night light bulb burning. It's surprisingly strong enough to generate actual "heat"--I can feel it when I open the door--and that's in the garage in the winter.
I ran an electric cord into the safe and just leave a 7-watt night light bulb burning. It's surprisingly strong enough to generate actual "heat"--I can feel it when I open the door--and that's in the garage in the winter.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
get a GOLDEN ROD..its a gun de-humidifer for safes I live in GA and had issues get one of those and your good to go..you can get some silca packets too if your safe is bigger and needs em.. not an issue since and had my rod in there for over a year now..
get a GOLDEN ROD..its a gun de-humidifer for safes I live in GA and had issues get one of those and your good to go..you can get some silca packets too if your safe is bigger and needs em.. not an issue since and had my rod in there for over a year now..
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
I use these from Amazon. 3 years and no issues with rust.
http://www.amazon.com/Eva-dry-EDV--Renew...5656&sr=8-5
I use these from Amazon. 3 years and no issues with rust.
http://www.amazon.com/Eva-dry-EDV--Renew...5656&sr=8-5
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
sweet, thanks all. My safe is not big, though the damn advertisement said it would hold "14 guns," it holds 5. It would hold "14 guns" if they were all Crickets! They don't take bipods and scopes into account with those numbers, huh? Anyhow, we don't have much humidity in Idaho; my garage is insulated, but I still have concerns. I may give that Eva-Dry a try. I saw one just like it with "Remington" scrolled across it. Thanks again.
sweet, thanks all. My safe is not big, though the damn advertisement said it would hold "14 guns," it holds 5. It would hold "14 guns" if they were all Crickets! They don't take bipods and scopes into account with those numbers, huh? Anyhow, we don't have much humidity in Idaho; my garage is insulated, but I still have concerns. I may give that Eva-Dry a try. I saw one just like it with "Remington" scrolled across it. Thanks again.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
We have those Eva-Drys in our tower safes. They get saturated pretty quickly. They need to be removed and plugged in for longer than just one shift to dry them out. Granted our safes are wide open most of the time, and the oven dried type couldn't be used up there. For my gun safes at home, I have a Goldenrod and a 750 gram desiccant canister. It takes a while for the canister to become saturated and only a few hours in the oven to dry them.
We have those Eva-Drys in our tower safes. They get saturated pretty quickly. They need to be removed and plugged in for longer than just one shift to dry them out. Granted our safes are wide open most of the time, and the oven dried type couldn't be used up there. For my gun safes at home, I have a Goldenrod and a 750 gram desiccant canister. It takes a while for the canister to become saturated and only a few hours in the oven to dry them.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
Goldenrod for sure. If no hole in the safe for a cord, get some of the "re-chargeable" silica stuff. Midways.com sells a few different types of the silica.
Goldenrod for sure. If no hole in the safe for a cord, get some of the "re-chargeable" silica stuff. Midways.com sells a few different types of the silica.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Anchor Zero Six</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I donno the name or brand but I am using one that was only about 30 bucks and rated for almost twice the volume of my safe.
Its a dessicant style but this one also plugs in to recharge the dessicant. Has a little view window on it and when the beads turn from blue to pink color you just plug it in for a few hours and its gtg for another month or two. </div></div>
They are the Evadry units, and can be found on Amazon for pretty cheap. I have a couple in my safe and they do a pretty good job. I do find that they have to be 're-charged' pretty often but it's not a big deal.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Anchor Zero Six</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I donno the name or brand but I am using one that was only about 30 bucks and rated for almost twice the volume of my safe.
Its a dessicant style but this one also plugs in to recharge the dessicant. Has a little view window on it and when the beads turn from blue to pink color you just plug it in for a few hours and its gtg for another month or two. </div></div>
They are the Evadry units, and can be found on Amazon for pretty cheap. I have a couple in my safe and they do a pretty good job. I do find that they have to be 're-charged' pretty often but it's not a big deal.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
Lots to cover on this topic.
If your safe is fireproof, there is a very good chance it will take quite a while to dry out the moisture laden "brick" in the lining.
If you safe is not fireproof you should be able to get humidity under control quickly.
Is you safe air tight? Really airtight, as in the door has a compression seal of any simple variety? If so you can do things that you cannot do t an unsealed safe. For instance a Goldenrod or light bulb or any heat source in an unselaed safe simply circulates the warm air out the unsealed top of the safe and...right...drags the damp cold air in at the bottom, a perfect cycle. If it is sealed, you do not need heat of any kind but rather dry it with silica.
It all starts with one of these. If you do not know what you had, what you have got, and what you want, well? You want anything at or below 50% humidity and you want temps at 60-70 when your at 50%. Not just for rust, but for the protection of wood stocks if you have them.
Start here:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=humi...amp;FORM=IDFRIR
For decades, I have kept all sorts of tough stuff absolutely rust free with these (though once you could buy them in cannisters 2X and made out of stainless...no more). You will recharge them in the oven, evenutally when things get under control, perhaps 3 - 4 times a year.
http://www.theruststore.com/750-Gram-Rechargeable-Silica-Gel-Canister-P57C6.aspx
With a meter, pretty soon you will be explaining to others what you had to do in your instance.
Lots to cover on this topic.
If your safe is fireproof, there is a very good chance it will take quite a while to dry out the moisture laden "brick" in the lining.
If you safe is not fireproof you should be able to get humidity under control quickly.
Is you safe air tight? Really airtight, as in the door has a compression seal of any simple variety? If so you can do things that you cannot do t an unsealed safe. For instance a Goldenrod or light bulb or any heat source in an unselaed safe simply circulates the warm air out the unsealed top of the safe and...right...drags the damp cold air in at the bottom, a perfect cycle. If it is sealed, you do not need heat of any kind but rather dry it with silica.
It all starts with one of these. If you do not know what you had, what you have got, and what you want, well? You want anything at or below 50% humidity and you want temps at 60-70 when your at 50%. Not just for rust, but for the protection of wood stocks if you have them.
Start here:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=humi...amp;FORM=IDFRIR
For decades, I have kept all sorts of tough stuff absolutely rust free with these (though once you could buy them in cannisters 2X and made out of stainless...no more). You will recharge them in the oven, evenutally when things get under control, perhaps 3 - 4 times a year.
http://www.theruststore.com/750-Gram-Rechargeable-Silica-Gel-Canister-P57C6.aspx
With a meter, pretty soon you will be explaining to others what you had to do in your instance.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
I use to have a large fish tank in the same room as my safe I used the golden rod (mounted at the top of the safe) and a jar of silica gel (at the bottom of the safe) worked great for me
I use to have a large fish tank in the same room as my safe I used the golden rod (mounted at the top of the safe) and a jar of silica gel (at the bottom of the safe) worked great for me
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
My advice is to not mount it directly to the concrete floor. However that might be difficult. But at least use a heavy rug, or rubber mat if you are bolting to the floor. If bolting to the wall then get the safe 4 or 5 inches up off the floor.
I have been using Golden Rods in safes and a vault for years. With different temps. No problems. Tom.
My advice is to not mount it directly to the concrete floor. However that might be difficult. But at least use a heavy rug, or rubber mat if you are bolting to the floor. If bolting to the wall then get the safe 4 or 5 inches up off the floor.
I have been using Golden Rods in safes and a vault for years. With different temps. No problems. Tom.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
None of the rods are actually dehumidifiers. The marketing material for one of them actually states "absorbed unwanted moisture". Hahahaha. And where does all this water magically go?
All of the rods are just plug-in heaters that circulate air. They DO prevent corrosion, though.
Because they are just heaters, I see no reason to buy the magical golden rod. The silver and black rods work just as well and cost less. Some use bulbs, but it seems to be that bulbs will have to be replaced from time to time.
Personally I use a silver rod heater combined with rechargeable Eva-Dry units. The Eva-Dry units get saturated pretty quickly, even though my safe has a fire seal in the door frame.
None of the rods are actually dehumidifiers. The marketing material for one of them actually states "absorbed unwanted moisture". Hahahaha. And where does all this water magically go?
All of the rods are just plug-in heaters that circulate air. They DO prevent corrosion, though.
Because they are just heaters, I see no reason to buy the magical golden rod. The silver and black rods work just as well and cost less. Some use bulbs, but it seems to be that bulbs will have to be replaced from time to time.
Personally I use a silver rod heater combined with rechargeable Eva-Dry units. The Eva-Dry units get saturated pretty quickly, even though my safe has a fire seal in the door frame.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
I have a big sack of dessicant that I re-charge every so often on the top shelf and an electric one that came with the safe on the bottom.
I also have a silicon covered cloth I use to wipe things down with when I handle them.
I have a big sack of dessicant that I re-charge every so often on the top shelf and an electric one that came with the safe on the bottom.
I also have a silicon covered cloth I use to wipe things down with when I handle them.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
I run a dehumidifier in the room where I store my guns. I also keep primers in the room, so it serves double duty. The room is kept closed off and during the summer I empty the bucket once a day. TN summers should be called The Season of Wet Air- humid, humid, humid.
I run a dehumidifier in the room where I store my guns. I also keep primers in the room, so it serves double duty. The room is kept closed off and during the summer I empty the bucket once a day. TN summers should be called The Season of Wet Air- humid, humid, humid.
Re: Humidity Control for Safe?
bags of desiccant have proved their worth in both concrete lined safes and un-lined ones both in the garage, for 20 plus years....
bags of desiccant have proved their worth in both concrete lined safes and un-lined ones both in the garage, for 20 plus years....
